Lata Mangeshkar’s health deteriorates, on ventilator now

Veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar,  who was admitted to Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital earlier last month, after testing positive for COVID-19, is still in the ICU and is on a ventilator, tweeted news agency ANI. The singer, 92, was also being treated for pneumonia. She recovered from COVID-19 and pneumonia on January 30. "Veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar's health condition has deteriorated again, she is critical. She is on a ventilator. She is still in ICU and will remain under the observation of doctors: Dr Pratit Samdani, Breach Candy Hospital," tweeted ANI on Saturday.

Lata Mangeshkar's musical gems need no introduction. She has sung in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali and other regional languages. She has been honoured with the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke Award as well as several National and Filmfare Awards. Lata Mangeshkar's last complete album was for 2004 Bollywood release Veer-Zaara.

Lata Mangeshkar, who is popularly known as the 'Nightingale of India,' began singing to support her family after the death of her father Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar 1942. He was a classical singer and theatre actor. In Bollywood, Lata Mangeshkar got her first major break with the song Dil Mera Toda from the 1948 film Majboor. However, her song Aayega Aanewaala from the movie Mahal (1949) became her first major hit.